THE WADHURST CHARTERHenry by the Grace of God King of England Lord of Ireland Duke of Normandy and Earl of AnjouTo the Archbishops Bishops Abbots Priors Earls and others"Greeting"Know Ye that We have granted, and do by this our Charter confirm, to the Venerable Father Boniface Archbishop of Canterbury Primate of all England that he and his successors archbishops of Canterbury for ever shall have a Market at Wadhurst in the County of Sussex on the Saturday of each week and that they shall have there a Fair every year to last for three days namely on the Vigil the Day and the Morrow of the Feast of the Apostles Peter & Paul unless such Market and such Fair be to the prejudice of neighbouring Markets and neighbouring Fairs"wherefore we will formally decree for us and our heirs and the aforesaid Boniface and his successors Archbishops of Canterbury for ever shall have a Market at Wadhurst in the County of Sussex on the Saturday of each week and that they shall have there a Fair every year to last for 3 days namely the Vigil, the Day, and the Morrow of the feast of the Apostles Peter and Paul with all liberties and free usages to such Markets and Fair belonging unless such Market and such Fair be to the prejudice of neighbouring markets and neighbouring Fairs as aforesd"These being witnessed John Maunsell etc by Our Hand at Westminster the 8th day of May in the 37 year of our Reign

Wadhurst is a town and large parish in the Rye division of Sussex, in the hundred of Loxfield Camden, rape of Pevensey, rural deanery of Etchingham, archdeaconry of Hastings and diocese of Chichester. Withyham is 6 miles south-east of Tunbridge Wells and 40 miles south of London. Wadhurst includes the villages and hamlets of Wood's Green, Sparrow's Green, Pell Green, Cousley Wood and Tidebrook. Tidebrook was formed into a separate ecclesiastical parish in 1858The population of Wadhurst in 1811 was 1,815; in 1841 was 2,491; in 1861 was 2,470; in 1871 was 3,191 (and Tidebrook had a further 788 and is shown separately subsequently); in 1881 was 3,216; in 1891 was 3,354; in 1901 was 3,232; in 1911 was 3,647; in 1921 was 3,674; and in 1931 was 3,771.

Places and properties in Wadhurst - a directory of homes, farms, churches, schools, inns, and other places of interest that existed prior to 1900 has been compiled from Post Office directories, Kelly's directories, Trade directories, Census data, Ordnance survey maps and books of the period